- XRP price is stabilizing near $1.44, but analysts suggest the bottom may not be in yet
- Retail participation is rising while whale holdings continue to decline
- Network activity is growing तेजी, but price remains disconnected from adoption
XRP has been moving… sideways, more or less. Price has stabilized around $1.44, with only a slight 0.28% gain over the past day, which isn’t exactly exciting, but also not weak. Trading volume is still decent at $1.86 billion, and the market cap sits near $88 billion, so it’s not like interest has disappeared. It just feels like the market is pausing, waiting for something.
The bigger question though, the one people keep circling back to, is whether this is actually the bottom… or just another stop along the way down.
Analysts Suggest XRP May Need More Time
One take that’s getting attention comes from analyst Joao Wedson, who pointed out that XRP might not have reached its true cycle low yet. Using a metric called “Number of Days Spent at a Profit,” he suggests the asset hasn’t hit the kind of extreme conditions that usually mark a bottom.
In other words, historically, XRP tends to go through deeper phases before fully resetting. And right now, it’s still trading below key long-term zones, which hints that the market may need more time, maybe even another leg lower, before things properly turn. Not what people want to hear, but… not unrealistic either.
Retail Participation Grows as Whales Step Back
At the same time, something interesting is happening beneath the surface. Data shows that smaller holders are increasing, while larger wallets are quietly reducing exposure. There are now over 5.6 million wallets holding less than 100 XRP, which is actually a record.
Meanwhile, mid-sized holders are growing too, but whales, those holding over 100,000 XRP, have dropped to just over 32,000. That shift suggests retail participation is picking up, even as bigger players step back a bit. Whether that’s profit-taking, redistribution, or just repositioning… it’s not entirely clear.
Adoption Is Rising, But Price Isn’t Following
Here’s where things get a little frustrating for XRP holders. Network activity is growing, quite a lot actually. Daily transactions have jumped from around 1 million in mid-2025 to nearly 3 million now. That’s a big increase, and it points to real usage expanding.
But the price hasn’t really followed. And that disconnect is hard to ignore. XRP is still being built out as a liquidity bridge, which is where its long-term value is supposed to come from, but that kind of utility doesn’t always translate into immediate price movement. Sometimes it lags… sometimes by a lot.
Market Positioning Shows Caution Despite Bullish Bets
Looking at derivatives, there’s a bit of a mixed picture. On Binance, most traders are still leaning bullish, with long positions outweighing shorts by a noticeable margin. But at the same time, overall open interest has dropped significantly, from around $10 billion earlier this year down to roughly $2–$3 billion now.
That drop suggests the market has been de-risking, stepping back after previous moves higher. Volume has also cooled compared to late 2025 levels, which reinforces that idea. It’s less about aggressive positioning right now, more about waiting.
A Market in Transition, Not Resolution
So where does that leave XRP? It’s not collapsing, but it’s not breaking out either. Adoption is growing, retail interest is rising, and activity on the network is increasing, all positive signals. But price is still stuck in this in-between phase.
The market feels like it’s digesting everything, past gains, shifting positions, new participants entering. Whether this turns into a solid base or leads to another drop… that’s still unclear.
For now, XRP is moving forward in terms of usage. The price, though, is taking its time catching up.
